The Thirst
The Thirst is a one-off adventure set in the Orange Archipelago in the autumn of 761. Conflict on the Seas In the ninth month of the year 761, Magellan Kithridge was traveling the seas of south Talvia as a member of the crew of the Crimson Dynamo. The ship was traveling through the Orange Archipelago, moving goods between the various island ports when they were flagged down by the Talvian Navy. The ship was boarded by three officers of the Navy who, after searching the ship for illicit goods, promptly placed Captain Eliad Tortimer under arrest on unspecified charges. At this point, Calypso Pockets placed a powerful spell of darkness on the deck of the Crimson Dynamo, blinding the officers and most of the crew. Seeing the rapid deterioration of the situation, Glimgul Youngest of Twelve, a cobbler-turned-warrior hired by the Dynamo for protection on the dangerous waters, stepped in and attacked the lead officer. The following shootout saw several navy officers killed as well as Magellan destroying a sizeable portion of the navy ship's deck with fire before a truce was called. The lead officer on board privately discussed terms with Captain Tortimer, and the navy left the Crimson Dynamo and dropped charges against Tortimer. In exchange, the Dynamo yielded to the Navy a small, ebony chest, the contents of which were kept a secret from the crew. At this time, damage to the Dynamo, as well as the loss of the gangplank and the captain's desire to be drop off Pockets, necessitated a stop in Port Farraday. Port Farraday Once in Port Farraday, Glimgul set out to find a woodcarver to build a new gangplank whilst Magellan determined to hustle a large man frequenting the tavern. After cheating in a challenge of strength using Montgomery's Magnificent Mass Minimizer, Magellan was attacked by the man, Brendley, who attempted to bludgeon him against a small boulder. Magellan used magical fire to subdue Brendley, revealing his skill as a wizard to the locals, who began to conspire to hang him. He fled and cast a spell to transmute his physical appearance so as to avoid lynching. Meanwhile, Glimgul learned rumours of the island's main stream runnig dry and streaks of dead vegetation criss-crossing the island; he immedately suspected the work of a green dragon. The Elf The next day, Magellan and Glimgul, accompanied by first mate Garris Poruk, set out toward the island's infamous elvish ruins. Inside the ruined tower, they located an emaciated, catatonic elf with a shriveled right arm. From his arm, they found a mummified hand clinging to his arm. Glimgul was able to gather from the elf's distant ramblings that he and his friend had come to the island to reclaim a lost elvish item, but that his companion had fallen or been drawn into some sort of disaster and that he had been unable to pull him out. Before they could learn more, the group was assailed by a banshee. Garris left his two allies in order to take the elf to Port Farraday for recovery. The two remaining members determined to visit the lake at the source of the stream. The Lake Upon arriving at the lake, Magellan and Glimgul immediately noticed that despite the tropical climate, the alcove was exceedingly cold, with large sections of the surface frozen over. Magellan used levitation magic to glide across the lake to a small island in the center of the body of water. Glimgul noticed that the water level was unusually low for the lake, and that the water was gently flowing toward the island instead of out into the creek. Upon learning this, Magellan began digging, expecting a Reclaimant. As he dug, he exposed the corner of a metal object. Before he could proceed, a water spirit appeared from the lake and began climbing onto the island. Magellan was able to levitate away before being swallowed up by the elemental, who appeared not to take notice of him. The Relaimant responded to the sudden increase in water volume by tearing nearly all the water from the elemental's body.